My Notting Hill: Jamie Oliver's Recipease

When we first moved to England,

I would do a 2 hour commute

into London for work...

and then another 2 hours home.

(And I loved it.)

In the evenings,

the first hour was on the tube

getting to Paddington

where I would hop on a train

and haul my buns

back out to Oxford.

In London during commuter hours,

free newspapers are passed out

to commuters as the enter the tube entrances.

I love sitting on the packed-yet-silent tubes

and listening the ruffles of newspapers.

Because there's no cell service (yet),

it is like a time transport

to people reading books & papers.

(And I loved that, too.)

I remember reading the Evening Standard

on the tube one night

the first few months we lived in England.

There was 30-Minute Meal insert

by this English chef, Jamie Oliver...

he was cooking with exotic ingredients

like "rocket" and "coriander"

and making weird sounding things

like Portuguese tarts for dessert.

For some reason,

I kept the paper

and it's still sitting in my recipe book today.

Now that I've been here a while

(3.5 years already!),

I realize what a naive little pup I was.

Jamie Oliver is practically the king of the cooking scene here.

(And "rocket" & "coriander" is actually just arugula & cilantro. Oops.)

While I still don't have an affinity for Portuguese tarts,

I have fallen in love with Mr. Oliver.

He taught me to roast a perfect chicken, afterall.

And, now, he set up shop in our neighborhood

with the cutest place you ever did see:

RECIPEASE.

Cooking classes, cute baking goods,

take away meals for dinner,

gorgeous baked goods & coffee for easy snagging,

and of course- a restaurant with his yummy recipes.

It's a sweet place

that's easy to find

right above the Notting Hill Gate tube station...

Stop by. 

Either grab a coffee

or sit a while 

in the sunny windows upstairs

over a gorgeous plate of his yummy creatiions.

(I personally dig the thai green curry or the spiced carrot pancake with hummous!)

*    *   *

RECIPEASE

92-94 Notting Hill Gate

London W11 3QB

(other locations available here)

*photography by Noah Darnell

My Notting Hill: Talkhouse Coffee

Our friend Reuben is generally very nice...

except when it comes to coffee.

You should have seen the snarl I got when I asked if 

he had served instant coffee after we had dinner  at their house one night.

The death look was given and noted.

So when he says that a place by our flat has really good coffee,

we listen.

Well, actually, Tyler listens

and then takes me....

and then I remember that this was the place

 that Reuben was talking up so much.

Talkhouse sits on Portobello Road,

at the end of the market.

It's a small coffee shop

that discreetly boasts

that it's barista won 3rd in the 

World Latte Art Competition.

(Who knew such existed, right?)

But not only does Talkhouse serve coffee so fancy

that it could make a hipster feel insecure

but the food is top notch.

We reallllly love the St. John's custard donut

and the chocolate chip cookie sprinkled with sea salt.

Yum.

The lunch options are also really good quality

and amazingly fresh.

If it's nice outside,

snag a seat in the outdoor garden area

at the wayyyyy back of the shop.

(Just keep going, it's there. I promise.)

Enjoy this good, good place.

I know you won't be disappointed.

Talkhouse Coffee

275 Portobello Road

London W11 1LR

*photos by Noah Darnell

My Notting Hill: Honest Burgers

I'm not really a meat eater.

Most of the time,

I stick to veggies...

unless it's exceptionally delicious meat.

Like boeuf bourgignon at a favorite French restaurant

or pork barbecue sandwiches when I'm in the South...

or Chick-fil-A nuggets by the handful because they are goooood.

We don't really eat at ton of red meat,

so we save our burger splurges

for the best...

which means we don't eat them in England.

Burgers in England are gross.

I hate to be a downer, but it's just true.

They're nasty (in my Texan snob opinion)

for two reasons:

1. The cows are grass-fed and it makes the beef taste weird.

2. They use breadcrumbs in the patties so it makes them have

a weird, meatloaf-y consistency.

Now, a year ago,

I could have written off this entire

soggy island and it's soggy burger patties...

but I actually, have to allow for a few exceptions.

Now that the US darlings Shack Shake & Five Guys 

have come to town,

it is possible to get a good burger...

AND because Honest Burgers is here.

Since they are British and have created a good burger,

they get an extra gold star.

There are a few locations,

but we go to the one in Notting Hill

on Portobello Road

(duh).

They offer a really simple menu,

but it's a good one.

Go with the Honest burger (bacon, cheddar, carmelised onion relish)

 + homemade fries with rosemary salt.

Once your tummy starts protruding

with a burger pooch,

you'll singing John Cougar Mellancamp

and swearing to yourself that you were

back in the good ole US of A.

(Except you actually won't be... so don't sing... Just hum.)

*      *     *

Honest Burgers

189 Portobello Road 

London W11 2ED

+44 (0) 7229 4978

(Other locations available here.)

*photography by Noah Darnell

My Notting Hill: Book & Kitchen

Just off the craziness of Portobello Road,

there's a small street that I particularly love.

It's just a stone's throw away

from the madness,

but it's a tiny sliver of quiet & bliss:

Allsaints Road.

It is just... so cute.

It has small independent pubs & restaurants

dotting the tiny colorful street.

We love to go the Pelican 

for yummy pub meals

and for the sweet staff

that always treats Viola 

like a doll.

But on days when it's just me...

well, I like to go to a place

that's a bit quieter

and entirely quaint:

Book & Kitchen

This tiny shop is half bookshop...

half, you guessed it, kitchen!

It feels like a place 

that would make Kathleen Kelly smile.

The giant windows pour in sunshine

and the tiny back deck

is the perfect place 

to spend alone with a good book

or a wandering thought...

or you know, shame eating a piece of cake.

(I'll never judge you for that, you know that.)

Even though it has a a significantly smaller

offering than the large chain book stores,

this place gets my vote

for the best bookshop in London.

They have a children's nook

that is so cute and cozy.

When Viola gets older

and starts enjoying books

for more than licking,

I have visions of spending 

chilly afternoons down there with her.

Oh yeah,

 and the staff is crazy nice, too.

You're gonna love it here.

Book & Kitchen

31 All Saints Road

London W11 1HE

info@bookandkitchen.com

Photography by Noah Darnell

Christmas In London (via National Geographic)

Being in Britain

has taught me many things.

The art of milk with my tea.

(English breakfast? yes. Earl Grey? no, just lemon. Herbal or green? no.)

The appropriate weather to wear

my wellies in... and not to wear them...

(walks in the country? yes. site seeing in the city? no.)

What's so magical about sticky toffee pudding...

(and where to eat a really delicious one.)

I've also learned to play it cool.

The Brits are great at that...

they famously coined "the stiff upper lip,"

and man- they know how to compose themselves.

...

But today,

I'm going to be a total American.

A really obnoxious American, at that.

Because I can't play this cool at all....

I'm on National Geographic

with a big fancy quote 

about Christmastime in London.

National Geographic, people!

image via danskinner, flickr

Go on, and check it out.

And if you have a suggestion for London at Christmastime,

feel free to drop it in on the article.

(Who knows, you might be the next source for a London piece!)

In The Houzz (Sabrina + Sasha)

Since I have been so bored lately

and wihout much to do

(read: complete sarcasm),

I decided to take on a new role

as the London contributor for Houzz.

(I'll sleep when I'm dead.)

As the contributor,

I get to take a peek in people's houses 

and see what their lives are like...

and then I shoot them

-the houses, not the people-

and write about them for all the world to see

on Houzz's lovely site.

The first home that I had the privilege to feature

was the new digs of a sweet couple that I met

at the "7th of July" block party this summer.

The couple lives next to my friend, Lolly...

and I walked away from meeting them

and seeing their new home with stars in my eyes.

Sasha (Russian) + Sabrina (Canadian-American)

are two attorneys who are starting their lives together

in a really cute mews flat in South Kensington.

Not only are they attractive smarties (both are attorneys)

and their home ridiculously well curated,

but they are genuinely nice people, too.

Check out more snaps from their home tour here.

(And, okay, fine... if you wanted to leave a nice comment encouraging them

it probably wouldn't be a bad thing.)

*photography by Lauren Bryan Knight for Houzz

Pretty Cookies? London Bloggers? Me? You!

I'm happy to finally announce that there will be

a London Blogger Meetup.

Finally!

To get this sort of thing planned

and hosted at an amazing place, 

well- it's nothing short of a Christmas miracle.

I'm smitten to have Biscuiteers oblige to host 

our fun crew for a night out

at their *gorgeous* Notting Hill Boutique

for a night of Christmas fun.

So if you have a blog, read blogs, like blogs, 

or just think that being a Christmas party in London

would help fulfill all your Love Actually fantasies...

and you're up for an amazing night 
getting to ice pretty cookies, 

chat with sweet girls & sip some fizz, 

 we want you there!

Since the boutique is small,

it's a first-come-first-served operation

for the first people who sign up.

The icing classes are normally £78 per person,

but you'll get to experience that

-plus cookies to nibble & yummies to sip-

for only £35.

{This truly is the best time of the year.}

Snag your spot now

and plan to spend the night making new friends.

Oh, and don't worry about feeling awkward. 

Everyone always kind of starts out that way...

 including me!

*image via

The Prince Bonaparte Rules the World

At times, 

I can be slightly dramatic.

I've neem known to mae some fairly bold claims in my day.

I can't help it. 

I feel the moment. 

And last night,

I was really feeling it

when we were at 

the posh neighborhood pub,

The Prince Bonaparte

and trying their sticky toffee pudding.

Listen to me, friends:

I eat a lot of dessert... a lot.

After countless bowls of this national treat,

I can confidently say:

This sticky toffee pudding is the best I have had.

While Napolean never achieved his dreams 

of world dominance,

The Prince Bonaparte has dominated all others

in this special recipe.

In case you think Sticky Toffee Pudding is,

as the name implies, a pudding like we know in America,

well, you're wrong.

"Pudding" is a term that just means dessert.

For example,

the classic Christmas "figgy pudding" 

that we all blindly reference in carols & plays

 is not a gelatinous clumpy mess, but a cake.

I know, it's confusing...

but don't worry about it.

Back to the matter at hand:

The cake is just perfect,

the caramel pool it sits in is just right...

and the clotted cream ice cream on top

makes the whole experience heavenly.

If you're searching for a serving of this famous cake

on your trip the England,

don't go anywhere else

other than Notting Hill.

And don't even think about sharing-

you'll be starting a war

that even Napolean would have avoided.

* * *

The Prince Bonaparte

80 Chepstow Road

London W2 5BE

020 7313 9491

*image original to Aspiring Kennedy

To A Tea: BRGR.Co (Say What?)

Tea?

At a burger joint?

Indeed.

Sometimes, my friends,

you gotta shake things up.

And speaking of shakes,

this tea included a mini shake...

so I had no choice but to try it immediately.

BRGR.Co 

is a cute place in Soho

that has often intrigued me,

but I'd typically always been heading to another room

when I saw it,

so never had a good excuse to try it out.

Fortunately, my friend Grace

forwarded me an email about their 

version of "Afternoon Tea."

After reading of sliders (chicken, lobster & cheeseburgers!),

mini pots of fries, 

cheesecake, donuts, the aforementioned miniature vanilla shake,

iced tea (because what "tea" would be complete without it)

and a glass of prosecco

all for £17,

I realized this was my moment to check it out.

So off we went.

The staff was so friendly

and sat us 30 minutes before our reservation.

Food came out quickly

and was super good.

I was a big fan of the sliders, the fries, the donut, the tea...

well, I guess we could say

I pretty much liked everything.

Viola even had her first high chair experience...

giving her convenient access to swiping at food.

Obviously, I watched her grab at the cheesecake and fries
with true motherly pride.

So yeah, add this place to your list.

Whether it's for the "afternoon tea"
or just for a good bite
while your strolling Soho or shopping on Oxford Street.

It's a good one.

And the regular menu looks pretty awesome, too. 

Check it out!

***

Not your cup of tea?

Check out some of my other favorite places for tea here.

*all images original to Aspiring Kennedy

To A Tea: The Liberty Cafe

If you follow me on Instagram,

you may have noticed I have a *slight* obsession

for London's department store, Liberty.

And of course, when I say "slight obsession"

I actually mean, 

"I want to lick the floors of it and caress every single item inside its walls."

After a long time of forgetting to try out their cafe,

I decided it was time to for two of my life's great loves 

(tea & Liberty)

to merge.

I have to say...

I was slightly underwhelmed.

Let's walk through my time there.

Location:

Hard to find in the store

(on the second floor in a room to the side).

The room itself is fairly plain
with a good dose of subtle quirks 
that are oh-so-Liberty.

Food:

It was... meh,

and it wasn't cheap.

I ordered lunch 
followed by a cream tea.

After all, this was research
and I had to get a good sampling.

Let's start with the Cream Tea
since this is a series on tea rooms in London.

The scones were dense.

After I polished off the first,

I actually kinda dreaded having to work through the second.

Which is not a normal feeling.

{Plus, they weren't fresh or warm.}

And it was £10.50...

which makes is one of the more expensive cream teas

I can ever recall seeing listed on a menu in the UK.

The goats cheese, caramelised onion & asparagus tart was pretty tasty.

On the upside,

it made hitting the end of the summer sale really easy.

In fact, 

I walked away with some amazing steals

and it played perfectly into my errands at Oxford Circus.

So, would I go back?

Sure,

but maybe just for a drink

or a light nibble.

I wouldn't save up a tasty meal for it...

or splurge on my souvenir tea time there.

Have you been?

Did you have a better experience?

(I really do hope so! I would love to think I experienced an off day.)

***

Not your cup of tea?

Check out some of my other tea times 

at some of London's finest places on Aspiring Kennedy.

Fortnum & Mason | The Ampersand Hotel | Cocomaya | The Orangery | V&A 

Primrose Bakery | Bea's of Bloomsbury

*all photography original to Aspiring Kennedy

Eat Your Heart Out (London): Central & Co.

The other day after Regent Tweet

with Megan, Amber, & Sophie,

I met up with Tyler & my friend Kyla

for a quick coffee to recharge.

{Quick recap of Regent Tweet below. Read more about it on Sophie's blog.}

from left to right: my huge hair | me | amber | megan | sophie

We had met up outside of Liberty

(tucked right off Regent Street at Oxford Circus) 

and decided to check out a new place

that had recently popped on my radar, 

Central & Co.

It's awesome decor had lured me in 

on my way home the week before...

I then added it to my "eat here ASAP" list.

After getting a seat

and making ourselves comfortable,

that "coffee" soon turned into lunch & dessert.

If you're shopping on Oxford or Regent Street,

this place gets two thumbs up for me.

And if/when you go,

do not skip the Eton Mess.

Worth every calorie

in that gorgeous little cup.

Okay, that's it.

Keep Central & Co. on your mental list

for the next time you're in London.

{You can also PIN it or come find it in my London guide when you're ready.}

*all images original to Aspiring Kennedy